Tressym
The Tressym (Parailurosphinx), also known as the flying cat or the winged cat, is an arboreal feline native to the temperate forests of Takannar. They have not been native to Foringea in historical times, and prior to the War of Ruin were only known there as rare exotic pets. As a results no Tressyms, living or dead, made it to Alphoria when the war ended. The animal was only known from a vague description in the Compendium of Natural Curiosities, an old tome written in archaic Andirian, which lead to many misconceptions about Tressyms. The book accurately describes the Tressym as a small cat with brown spotted fur, small tufted ears, owl-like face and hair-fringed membraneous wings that grow out of the animal's shoulder joints. Unfortunately a misreading caused Alphorians to think the Tressym had an extra pair of leathery, yet feathered wings attaching to the shoulder blades. This misconception wasn't corrected until Alphorian traders acquired domesticated Tressyms from Danarkim during the Colonial Period. The real wings of the tressym are still quite unique, if not quite that strange. The wing membrane or patagium is completely covered in hair, and the trailing edge has a fringe of long stiffened hair that seem to act somewhat like feathers. Almost half of the wing is supported by a rod of bone that starts as a styliform cartilage in kittens that fully ossifies in mature adults. The styliform articulates on an enlargened wrist bone and allows the Tressym better control of the patagium during flight and enables it to be folded back while climbing or walking. The Tressym is not capable of true powered flight, but is a highly proficient glider. Wild Tressyms spend most of their lives in trees, gliding between trunks seeking prey ranging from birds and mammals to reptiles and insects. They are sometimes able to snatch prey in the air, but usually catch animals they spot in a nearby tree or on the ground. The gliding approach of the Tressym is very quiet, and often they manage to take their prey completely by surprise. Due to this hunting tactic they rely heavily on their sense of vision, which is exceptionally keen for a carnivorous mammal. Tressyms aren't exclusively carnivorous, and are known to feed on ripe fruits and berries, even honey. This suggest they can still taste sweet flavors, unlike other felines. Apparently the gene had not been lost when the lineage of the gliding cats diverged from the rest of Felidae approximately 20 million years ago. Even though the Tressym closely resembles domestic cats due to convergent evolution, it is actually more distantly related to housecats than lions or even sabertooth cats. Unlike the latter two, it has been succesfully domesticated. The domestic Tressyms reveal one more unique trait of the species: their extremely high intelligence. It's generally accepted that tressyms are more intelligent than even the smartest canines, possibly rivaling the intelligence of crows and parrots. They can certainly learn to distinguish more than a thousand words, and thanks to their extensive repertoire of vocalizations can learn to communicate with humans on a level that rivals unspoken languages. Due to their intelligence they can be very challenging pets, though very affectionate and loyal to owners that treat them well. Category:Fandom Category:Carnivores Category:Animals Category:Mammals Category:Carnivorans Category:Felidae Category:Mystic